Lots of Harlots

Prostitution has burst its traditional boundaries — the zona de tolerencia along Calle Coahuila and its environs — and is expanding into new territories throughout Tijuana.

Frontera reports that at least four more districts are exhibiting an increase in such activities, although in these new areas the practice has yet to be officially recognized. The neighborhoods of La Mesa, Paseo del Guaycura, El Florido, and Mariano Matamoros have engendered their own zonas rojas (red zones).

Economic woes are blamed for the sudden surge in prostitution stats. Lack of employment is luring many a female into being a sexoservidora. Another reason given for the expansion onto new turf is that customers don’t have the time to travel to downtown TJ and the Zona Norte. The majority of the new trade is located in the eastern part of the city, where prostitutes hang out at bars and consummate their transactions in adjacent motels.

Victor Clark Alfaro, director of the Binational Center for Human Rights, points out that the new zonas are not officially recognized and thus are fraught with the potential to incubate disease and foment crime. He points to the “official zona” along Coahuila, where women are given regular health inspections and the area is heavily policed. Alfaro estimates that of 5500 sex workers, only about half are legally registered with the health department.

A mobile health unit has been dispatched to service wayward sex workers in the 32 bars located in the Zona Este. Angel de la Torre Casillas, municipal director of health, stated that those who contract with a sexoservidora should ask to see her health card before indulging.

The activity is certainly increasing in areas away from Zona Norte, but it isn't something new. About a block and a half from my house (many, many miles Southeast of Centro), the notorious Siete De Copas bar offers a wide variety of prostitutes from the time it opens until last call, and there is a large hotel right in back of the place to accomodate those "in search of". The difference is, that here and likely everywhere outside of Zona Norte, the girls stay off of the streets and keep to the inside of the bar, only venturing out to take a client to a room or to find a cab home at quitting time.

I remind all outsiders that technically prostitution is still not legal in Mexico. It is tolerated, when practiced in accordance with the unofficial guidelines. Be cautious, those "in search of"!

It's frustrating that both our Countries economy's are so bad because of the excessive GREED of a few.

Now, there are not enough good productive and healthy jobs to provide work for all those that are interested in doing something positive for themselves and or our Planet.

I learned several years ago, that Mexico had more Billionaires than the USA and I call on all these folks (on both sides of the border) with MUCHO, to begin ASAP, to help all those with NADA...

It would change our World, if even some of these Ultra Wealthy folks that are "in search of" decided to help others, instead of just seeking MORE for themselves...

Maybe if we all say, "Please", they will hear us and respond; it would be great if we could build many more "Hero" statues in both Countries to all those that follow the Golden Rule. Folks that care as much about others as they do about themselves, instead of just caring about more Gold...